Jordan Henderson has leapt to the defence of under-fire Liverpool FC boss Brendan Rodgers as he insisted: “It’s down to the players to put things right.”

Rodgers came in for some stinging criticism in the wake of the club’s Champions League exit this week with former Reds Mark Lawrenson and Steve Nicol both describing the team as “rudderless”.

It follows a turbulent run in the Premier League which has left Liverpool in ninth place ahead of tomorrow’s crunch showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

However, Henderson insists Rodgers, who was crowned Manager of the Year by his peers just seven months ago, has taken some unfair flak and is not to blame for the club’s current predicament.

The vice-captain has delivered a ringing endorsement of the Northern Irishman’s managerial qualities and says it’s time for everyone in the squad to dig deep and start producing for him.

“We’ve got full confidence in the manager because he’s one of the best in the world,” Henderson said. “For me, he’s got everything. It’s not down to the manager, it’s down to the players.

“We need to take more responsibility as a team and as a group and start putting in performances and getting results for everyone.

“The manager is doing everything for us to do that, tactically and on the training pitch, and it’s up to us to go and do it.”

Henderson says the club’s alarming slump following last season’s exhilating title challenge and the inevitable pressure which has followed hasn’t changed the Northern Irishman.

“He’s still confident in the way he wants to play football and he’s doing everything he can for us to start getting results,” he said.

“It’s up to us as players. People might want to point fingers at the manager and ex-players are coming out saying he’s getting the sack, but we all know that isn’t true.

“The outside world might accept that (it’s all down to the manager) but as players we certainly don’t accept that. We know it’s down to us on the pitch and we need to do the business.

“Ninth in the Premier League is not good enough for the quality of team we’ve got.

“Football changes very quickly. Not many people would have expected us to be in the position we are in at the minute, but we still have the belief that we can put things right. We need to start putting in good performances to climb the table and build back up to where we were last season.

“There is still plenty to play for. We can still finish in the top four and we are still in the FA Cup, Capital One Cup and the Europa League.”

Henderson insists Liverpool must channel their frustration at being dumped out of the Champions League by Basel into ensuring they are competing among Europe’s elite once again next term.

They currently find themselves six points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham.

“It was obviously devastating to go out, especially when I felt we were good to go through,” he said.

“There was exhaustion as well because everyone had put so much into the game. By the end of it we could do no more. We gave it everything and came up a little bit short.

“Everyone was delighted we were back in the Champions League. It is a great competition and you want to be playing in it so to go out at such an early stage is hard to take.

“You have to learn from your mistakes, keep going and hopefully at the end of the season we’ll be back in the Champions League.”

Liverpool head for Old Trafford in very different shape compared to their previous visit in March.

That day David Moyes’ United were comprehensively outplayed and outclassed. The 3-0 scoreline flattered the hosts with Rodgers’ side proving they were genuine title contenders.

Nine months on roles have been reversed. Now it is Liverpool faltering and in danger of losing their top-four status, while Louis van Gaal’s United appear increasingly well placed to break back in after a run of five successive league wins.

Mario Balotelli is set to return to the squad for tomorrow’s clash, but fellow striker Fabio Borini is edging closer to the Anfield exit door.

Balotelli has resumed full training at Melwood after missing the past six matches with a groin injury and could be named on the bench.

However, there is unlikely to be a recall for Borini, who hasn’t even made Liverpool’s matchday 18-man squad for the past four games.

Borini has failed to force his way back into Brendan Rodgers’ plans and looks increasingly likely to be sold in the January transfer window.

Kolo Toure could feature tomorrow after overcoming the groin problem which forced him to sit out the Champions League clash with Basel, and Adam Lallana is also available for selection.